What If There Was No Moon?

This question was posed by a self-proclaimed nerd as he reflected on his grade school thoughts. I was never a math or science guy, so I was relieved as he shifted to discussing the moon as metaphor.

A Significant, Yet Not Destructive Collision
It turns out the moon has significant effect on life on this planet. The Earth's Moon, for its size and proximity, is rather unusual. One hypothesis states that the moon collided with the Earth before being pulled into orbit. Had the two heavenly bodies directly collided, the Moon would have disintegrated completely; therefore this was a significant (and possibly cataclysmic) event, yet several positive results have emerged.

Greater Stability
Planets of similar size, like Mars, without large satellite bodies are more unstable on their rotational axis. The Moon keeps the Earth on a more constant rotation. This stability means there are fewer storms and temperature/seasonal fluctuations. It's ironic that a seemingly catastrophic event creates a more tolerable atmosphere.

Quality of Life
What does this mean for us? Fewer storms means more daylight. The stability gives us a chance develop healthy routines without worrying about ongoing fluctuations. The results of the Moon's impact and continued presence remain with us (tides, etc) -- but out of the past collision has resulted an existence that is beneficial. Our world continues in spite of this event. Eclipses and tides remind us of the Moon's proximity and our shared interaction. In a way, the Earth limps along, still affected by the Moon's collision -- but some of those effects have settled the environment where there once was chaos and irregularity.